COUN C I L ON U N DERGRADUATE R E SEARC H BIENNIAL REPORT Expansion and Excellence 2006 - 2008 THE MISSION OF THE COUNCIL ON UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH IS TO SUPPORT AND PROMOTE HIGH-QUALITY UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT-FACULTY COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH AND SCHOLARSHIP. The Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) and its affiliated colleges, universities, and individuals share a focus on providing undergraduate research opportunities for faculty and students at institutions that serve undergraduate students. CUR believes that faculty members enhance their teaching and contribution to society by remaining active in research and by involving undergraduates in research. CUR’s leadership works with agencies and foundations to enhance research opportunities for faculty and students. CUR provides support for faculty development. Our publications and outreach activities are designed to share success- ful models and strategies for establishing and institutionalizing undergraduate research programs. We assist administrators and faculty members in improving and assessing the research environment at their institutions. CUR also provides information on the importance of undergraduate research to state legislatures, private foundations, government agencies, and the U.S. Congress. CUR welcomes faculty and administrators from all academic institutions and all academic disciplines. Our primary advocacy is in support of faculty and students at the undergraduate level. CUR achieves its vision through efforts of its membership as organized in a divi- sional structure that includes arts and humanities, biology, chemistry, geosciences, mathematics and computer science, physics and astronomy, psychology, social sciences, undergraduate research program directors, and an at-large division that serves administrators and other disciplines. THE CUR DEFINITION OF UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH: “Undergraduate research is an inquiry or investigation conducted by an undergraduate student that makes an original intellectual or creative contribution to the discipline.” CUR programs emphasize the importance of a mentor, usually a faculty member, in guiding an undergraduate to achieve the most from an undergraduate research experience. Table of Contents PRESIDENTS’ REPORT ..................................................................... 2 Outreach and Collegial Relations ...........................................19 EXECUTIVE OFFICER’S REPORT..................................................4 Government and External Relations ......................................19 TIMELINE .............................................................................................. 5 Undergraduate Programs .............................................................21 GROWTH, GOVERNANCE & ADMINISTRATION .............8 Posters on the Hill ..........................................................................21 MEMBERSHIP & LEADERS .............................................................11 SPECIAL PROGRAMS FOR FACULTY PROGRAMS DEVELOPMENT CONSULTING ................................................22 Meetings RECOGNITION: CUR FELLOWS AWARD ...........................23 National Conference .........................................................16 APPENDICES CUR Dialogues .....................................................................16 CUR Institutional Members 2006-08.......................25 CUR Institutes ......................................................................16 System Members ...............................................................29 Grants Sponsors/Friends .............................................................29 HBCU Grant ...........................................................................16 GOALS FOR 2009 AND BEYOND ...........................................30 National Science Foundation Advanced Technology Education Grant ..................16 POSTSCRIPT ...................................................................................... 32 National Science Foundation Course, Curriculum, Laboratory Improvement Grant .................................16 Information and Communications CUR Quarterly ......................................................................18 How To Series .......................................................................18 Website and Electronic Communications ..............18 CUR Undergraduate Research Directory .................21 CUR Peer Reviewers’ Registry .......................................18 New Books Published .......................................................18 1 EXPANSION AND EXCELLENCE 2006 - 2008 Presidents’ Report De AR CUR MEMBERS AND FRIENDS, As CUR enters its third decade, and as this biennial report documents, the organization has significantly expanded its reach and impact dur- ing the past two years. Because of CUR’s rich history and the “grassroots” dedication of its members, CUR has been able to focus its efforts to collectively move the organization forward in realizing CUR’s strategic aspirations and mission: to support and promote high-quality un- dergraduate student-faculty collaborative research and scholarship. In particular, CUR has been working for many years to effectively serve its individual and institutional members, as well as to broaden participation in undergraduate research in the most inclusive sense: among all disciplines and institution types, among students and faculty from underrepresented minority groups, and among students at all levels of study, for example. CUR’s evolution as a professional organization and its programs and services reflect the organization’s deep commit- ment to mission. Several key milestones and initiatives from the past two years are highlighted below, along with a few initiatives that have been in development and will come to fruition within coming months. CUR 2008 National Conference. CUR ’s 12th biennial national conference, held at the College of Saint Benedict in St. Joseph, Minnesota, was one of the largest conferences CUR has hosted, with over 600 people in attendance and a program including over 200 presentations. The conference theme, “Frontiers and Challenges in Undergraduate Research,” exemplified the broad spectrum of activities and attitudes that we each experience on our own campuses, as well as our collective efforts to advance the enterprise of undergraduate research, scholar- ship, and creative activity at the national and international levels. CUR’s New Division of Arts and Humanities. At CUR’s 2008 annual business meeting, the CUR Council approved the creation of our newest disciplinary-based division, the Division of Arts and Humanities. Whereas artists and humanists have been members of various disciplin- ary and interdisciplinary divisions of CUR for many years, increased interest in membership among the broader community, coupled with increased requests for programming and services in recent years, led a group of CUR members to submit a proposal to the Executive Board and Council to formally create this new division. This was an exciting milestone for CUR. As a capstone to the inauguration of the new divi- sion, CUR’s 2008 biennial national conference featured a plenary presentation on undergraduate research in the arts, as well as many inter- esting workshops as part of the conference’s Arts and Humanities program. Members will see expanded programming for these disciplines, including expanded Web-based dissemination of creative work. Advocacy. The CUR Council and Executive Board recognized that both internal and external factors necessitated changes for CUR’s organi- zational structure if we are to remain at the forefront of the undergraduate research landscape. It was also recognized that CUR needs to expand the organization’s sphere of influence with federal and state policymakers, with public and private funding agencies, with national media outlets for both higher education and scholarly research, and with key postsecondary education organizations that share our interest in undergraduate research. This enhanced visibility for CUR is essential to achieve our objectives in an increasingly challenging and unpre- dictable world. The frequency of calls for greater accountability, affordability, and transparency in higher education from a broad range of sources exemplifies this climate. A s these calls for greater accountability continue to intensify, the powerful impacts of undergraduate research will position CUR members and member institutions to respond in a positive way. To ensure that CUR is able to meet these chal- lenges, Washington Partners, a Washington, DC-based firm specializing in educational clients, was hired to help withC UR’s external advocacy efforts and to develop the internal capacity for CUR members to serve as more effective advocates. Publications. With the Winter 2007 issue, Charlotte Otto completed three years as Editor of the CUR Quarterly. We thank Charlotte for her exceptional leadership of CUR’s premier publication. A search committee reviewed the applications of several excellent candidates and selected Kelly McConnaughay as the next Editor commencing with the Spring 2008 issue. CUR also published its first full-length scholarly volume, Developing and Sustaining a Research-supportive Curriculum: A Compendium of Successful Practices, edited by Kerry Karukstis and Tim Elgren. The book was formally released at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. The release was covered by the national media, and the book has been well received by the community. The volume includes